Reeses Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Last night was our new team dinner for the 2012 Fall Cheerleading Season. Since I always feel compelled to contribute when a dinner is served, I decided to make some cupcakes. Specifically, I tried to make 2 kinds of cupcakes. Did you notice the word tried? Yeah, one batch ended up all over my kitchen. I managed to salvage enough batter, only to have it not bake correctly, and then only to realize that I have used that same chocolate cupcake recipe several times with the same results.

Anywho, back to the cupcakes that actually came out right.

Reeses Fluffernutter Cupcakes
from Bru Crew Life
Makes 24 cupcakes.

For the Peanut Butter Cupcakes
1 white cake mix
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. oil
4 eggs
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. sour cream
24 reeses peanut butter cups

For the Marshmallow Butter Cream
1 c. butter
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow fluff
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

For the Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In a mixing bowl combine water, oil, and eggs. Add the dry cake mix and beat for 1 minute on low. Add the peanut butter and sour cream and beat on medium for 2 more minutes. 

3.  Place an unwrapped peanut butter cup into the bottom of each cupcake liner.

4.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18 minutes. 

5. Cool completely. Top with frosting and sprinkles.

For the Fluff Buttercream

1. In a mixing bowl beat the butter, fluff, vanilla, and salt until creamy. 

2. Slowly add the powdered sugar until completely mixed in.

Surprise!

Georgetown Cupcakes

Let's start this by saying a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friend Fiona! I dedicate this post to her and her birthday. Not only is it fitting that it's about cupcakes (a well-known birthday treat), but she's the reason this post was possible. Fiona invited me to Barrio, the pop-up dinner extravaganza craziness I went to a while back. Well, my knowledge of food, good company and good looks must have impressed her, because she invited me to another event with her.

The pre-opening event for Georgetown Cupcakes. They have been featured on TLC's "DC Cupcakes". Go to their website to read their history and latest and greatest locations, one being Newbury Street in Boston. Fiona and I had been talking cupcakes recently when the invite came out, so it was quite convenient that we got to attend this event. We set out for Newbury Street with an appetite for sugar.

Store Front

We checked in and were face to face with this:

Oh yes.

And this:

 

 

 

I need this

Now, Georgetown Cupcakes loves pink, as you can see from the boxes in the background and the flower ball arrangements in the background (they were everywhere). There was also some awkward pink lighting everywhere, which made picture-taking horrible. Hope you're ready for some of my worst pictures yet. And the worse thing is, I have a brand new Olympus E-PL1 camera, but did I bring it...no.

There was a waitstaff of men who were serving Moet & Chandon (and pink too!) and mini cupcakes. The cupcakes were....so-so. Each cake tasted the same, and the consistency of the cake was dry and grainy to say it best. It crumbled too much and made me want more champagne. The frosting was rich, but left me still feeling like everything was too dry. The chocolate frosting, however had more of a ganache consistency, which was nice. Here are some of the flavors we got:

Ugh pink lighting...

 This was hazelnut. It was too Nutella-tasting to me.

Salted Caramel...but with no salt

Boston Cream....with no cream filling

Chocolate Coconut

Red Velvet

I'm not a fan of red velvet to begin with. I don't get the appeal other than the nice coloring.

Overall, I guess I felt that each cake was lacking something. I wasn't able to handle any more sugar than that. Not to mention they let in a bit too many people for the event, which left everyone cramped in a very hot and stuffy bake shop. The only saving grace was pink champagne and a hipster DJ who played Pitbull....and we all know how much I love me some Pitbull.

We finished out champagne and decided to cut out early to get some fresh air. We grabbed our goodie bags and set out for something non-sweet, which led us to the Parish Cafe.

The Loot

A hat, coffee mug, t-shirt, book, gift card for a free dozen cupcakes and a travel coffee mug.

I consider myself quite the novice cupcake baker, but I think I'd take my cupcakes over theirs any day. I will have to cash in my gift card for my free dozen sometime and try more of their exotic flavors.